Card-index tray



Aug. 30,1927; I 1,640,397

' Filed Dec 5, 1921 Aug. 30; 1927.

' G. H. DAWSON CARD INDEX TRAY Filed Dec. 5 17921 3 SheetsSheet 2 G. H.DAWSON CARD INDEX TRAY Aug. 30, 1927, 1,640,397

Filed Dec. 5, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet5 I Er: l :1 geo'yefipazmsazi PatentedAug. .30, 1927.

warren STATES GEORGE E.

MENTS, T OF DELAWARE.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVISON, (3F CAMBRIDGE, JNIASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-REMIIQ'GTGN RAND ENG, OF TONAWANDA, KEV] YORK, A CORPORATION CARD-INDEXTRAY.

Application filed December 5, 1921. Serial No. 520,184.

This invention relates to a card index tray in which cards are removablysupported in overlapping relation, the tray being adapted for insertionin a cabinet.

It is an object of this invention to pro vide a simple and economicaltray sturcture which is readily adjustable whereby a card and itssupport may be readily inserted and removed and in which one or morecards may be securely locked against endwise movement and in which aseries of cards may be held in adjusted positioir with respect to theothers.

lVith these and other objects in view which will become more apparent inthe following description and disclosures in the drawing my inventioncomprises the novel structure and mechanism hereinafter described andmore particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims. In theaccompanying drawings which lllustrate a preferred embodiment ofinvention and in which similar reference numorals refer to similarfeatures in the different views: I I

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the tray. Figure 2 is a plan view upon adecreased scale of the tray partially filled with cards entering a traychamber of a cabinet shown in section. a

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the tray with parts inelevation and parts omitted upon an enlarged scale.

Figure 4: is a transverse sectionthrough the tray showing thelocking-means that is adapted position upon an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an adjustable abutment for the trayupon an enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the stationary abutment for the trayupon an enlarged scale.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7- 7 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section through the guides of the tray showingthe card supports in transverse section upon an enlarged scale.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary front view of the tray with a number ofoverlapping cards supported therein upon an enlarged scale. v

Figure 10 is a fragmentary vertical secfor holding the cards in compactpreferably constructed from an integral sheet of flexible or resilientmetal having its lateral margins folded over the front face inpreferably angular form for the purpose of providing inwardly directedchannel-like chambers l and 2 of unequal width in which perforated barsare secured, which bars form the outer walls of the guideways 3 in whichthe mounted cards are supported. These guideways are formed by theterminal margins or flanges lwhich extend inwardly from the channellikechambers with their inner ends at a slight inclination to the body ofthe tray to facilitate the removal and insertion of the mounted cards inthe tray.

' These flanges 4 extend preferably from the top of the tray to a shelf5 spaced a suitable distance from the bottom or front end of the tray.The shelf 5 in the present construction is formed upon an inclined plate18 which is provided with a flange 19 crimped around the lower orforward edge of the body of the tray as shown in Figure. 10. This flange19 forms the front part of .the tray and may be provided with a fingergrip 20 as shown in Figures 10 and 11. At the rear end of the traythere: is a limit or stop member 5 that confines the card supports.

The bars in the channel-like chambers comprise channels 6 and 8whichhave evenly spaced perforations 7 in their webs. The

channel bar 6 is located in the left-hand channel-like chamber 1 asviewed in Figure 3 and fits snugly with its perforated web directedinwardly to form an abutting guide wall forthe card supporting bars. Thechannel bar 8 which is provided with an abutment 9 extendingtransversely to a flange thereof is adjustably mounted in thechannel-like chamber 2 which is the wider ofthe two upon a, pair ofinclined pins or supports 10 extending across the chamber 2 and securedin the walls thereof. bar 8 is laterally and obliquely adjustable uponits supports from full line position to dotted line position (Figure 3).

In order to adjustthe member 8 from full line position to dotted lineposition as shown in Figure 2, a stud 11 is secured thereto and projectsthrough a diagonal slot 12 which is parallel with the pins 10 and whichextends through the top oil the channel-like chamber 2. The stud 11 isadapted to be operated by a pair oi toggle lin s 18, pivotally connectedtogether by a pivot pin 14:, the outer end oi. one link being connectedto the stud 11, while the other end of the other link is connected to astationary pivot 15 secured to the upper wall of the channel-likechamher 2. @nc 01: the links may be provided with a finger piece 16 foroperating the links. In referring to Figures 1 and 4:, it will beobserved that when the adjustable channel bar 8, which serves as alocking means for holding" the index cards in the guideways 3, is in itsinnermost or looking position, the pivot 14lis beyond or to the left'ofthe line joining stud 11 and pivot 15 thus securely holding the bar 8 inlocked position. find when it is desired to adjust the bar 8 so thatmounted index cards may be inserted or removed, it is necessary to breakthe topple by shifting the pivot i l toward hc into dotted lineposition, thereby shifting the pivot 11 in the slot and shifting thelocking bar 8 into unlocking or dotted line position.

he index cards 17 are mounted upon supporting and spacing bars 17, theendsot which are adapted to be slidinp ly retained in the guideways 0.the lowermost card may have its supporting bar rest upon the shelf 5 andother cards may be supported therefrom with their supporting bars testing one upon the other as shown in Figure 8. li hen a plurality of cardsare thuswise supported, it is often desirable to insert a new card at aparticularpoint in the series, or remove one therefrom. in such cases itis desirable to shift the cards upwardly from that point and retain themin such shifted position. Further, it is also often desirable to retaina certain portion of the cards spaced from the others, and to also holdthose mounted in the tray in compact form. For accomplishins theseobjects and purposes, a resilient rod 22 has been provided, the ends ofwhich are adapted to fit in the apertures of the channel bars 6 and 8,and this rod may be applied upon the top of the index cards to hold themin compact form, as shown in Figure 9, or it may be removed byflexing'and inserted atany other point. The cards at any point,providing the tray The is not filled, may readily be shifted upwardlyand the rod 22 may be inserted to hold them thuswise shifted. The rod 22is preferably provided with roller-like enlargement 23 adapted to bearagainst the bars interfere with the use of the tray in a cabinet, andwill not be exposed to harm the individuals using" the system. 7

In referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be noted that the rear end ofthe tra is provided with a pair of anchor holes 24: which are adapted.to removably receive hinge members on an anchor 25 slidably supported onthe ledges 26 of a cabinet adapted for receiving and housing the trays.In re ferring to Figure 2,'it will be observed that the toggle linksofthe tray are broken and hence the locking bar 8 is not in lookingposition. However, further inward movement of the tray will cause thevertical wall of the adjacent ledge of the cabinet to'operate the toggleand bar 8 to locking position. It is therefore impossible to place thetray in the cabinet when the cards are in unlocked. position, if theyshould be in unlocked position, they will be automaticall locked whenthe tray is inserted in the cabinet.

As the card-supporting bars .17 are freely slidable in the guideways, itis evident that a card mounted upon its support can, be inserted at anypoint or removed there from. sary to operate th toggle and move thelooking bar 8 to unlocking position; then by shifting a bar l'Tby anendwise movement to the right as viewed in Figures 3 and 9, theleft-hand end will become tree of the guide flange 4 so that it and thecard may be re.- moved from the tray. A reverse operation is requiredfor inserting a mounted card. In such case, the right-hand end of thebar is inserted in its guideway sufliciently far so that the left-handend will clear the guide flange 4; then by shifting the bar slightly tothe left, it willbe loosely held by the guide flanges. And b operatingthe toggle links to bring the bar 8 to locking the cards become securelylocked against removal. i

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that l have provideda novel form of card tray in which cards can be readily inserted andremoved at any point, and in which the cards can be locked againstremoval. 1

I am aware that numerous details of construetion vmay be. varied througha wide range without departing from the princjs In doing this, it ishowever, neces position,

Eli'sv ples of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limitingthe patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

A card-supporting tray comprising a member having side channels,guideways adjacent said channels, a stationary bar mounted in onechannel and an adjustable bar mounted in the other channel, andmechanism connecting said adjnstable bar to said member for shiftingsaid adjustable bar to looking or unlocking position.

2. In a card-supporting tray having guideways for slidably receivingcards, a support for the lowermost card comprising a plate member havinga nange forming the,

front end of said tray, and a flange upon which the lowermost card isadapted to be supported.

3. A card-supporting tray comprising a metal member having its sidemargins turned inwardly in overlapping relation so as to form channelsand guideways, perforated bars secured in said channels and forming theouter vertical walls of said gUldQWEUfS, one of said bars beingtransversely adjustable in its channel. and the front-wall of saidchannel having a diagonal slot, a stud projecting from said adjustablebar through said slot, and mechanism connected with said stud foradjusting and locking said adjustable bar. v

l. A card index tray having guideways for supporting said cards, andhollow chambers beyond the walls of said guideways for the purposedescribed.

5. A card index tray comprising a mem her having inturned flangesforn'iing channels, and guideways, and walls betweenthe channels andguideways for the purpose described.

6. The combination with a cabinet having a tray compartment, of a.card-holding tray adapted for insert-ion in said compartment, atransversely adjustable element in said trayfor looking or unlockingsaid cards with respect to said tray, and mechanism connecting said trayand element and operable when inserting said tray in said compartmentfor adjusting said element to locking position.

7. A. card-supporting tray having lateral overhanging flanges forretaining cards therebeneath, a bar beneath one of said flanges. saidlast-mentioned flange having oblique slot, and said bar having a studprojecting through said slot, and operating means connecting said studand tray.

8. In a card index, a cabinet, a plurality of card supports, a traytherefor, an adjustable bar for engaging the ends of said supports, ashiftable connection between said ports in said tray.

10. In a card index, a cabinet, a tray slid able in sald cabmet, sheetsupports in said tray, a transversely adjustable locking bar forengaging the ends of said sheet supports. and means attached to said baradapt ed to be automatically actuated by relative movement of said trayand cabinet for shifting said bar to locking position.

11. In a card index, the combination with a cabinet, of a tray slidablein said cabinet, sheet supports in said tray, and means actuated byrelative movement of said tray and cabinet for locking said sheetsupports against endwise movement.

12. In a card index, the combination with a cabinet, of a tray slidablein said cabinet, sheetsupports in said tray, and transversely shiftablemeans and operating means therefor, adapted to be automatically actuatedby relative movement of said tray and cabinet for locking said sheetsupports against endwise movement.

13. In a card index, the combination with a cabinet having a traycompartment, of a tray slidable in said compartment, card supportsmounted in said tray and means comprising a transversely.shiftablelocking bar operable by relative movement of said tray and cabinet forlocking said card supports against endwise movement.

14:. In a card index.,the combination with a cabinet, of a tray slidablein said cabinet, card supports in said tray, a transversely adjustablelocking bar adjacentone side of said tray, and meansengaging said baradapted by relative movement of said tray and cabinet, for shifting saidbar against the adjacent ends of said card supports for locking the sameagainst endwise movement.

15. In a card index, a. tray having inturned marginal flanges, cardsupports retained under said flanges, an adjustable locking bar underone flange. said lastmentioned flange having an oblique slot and saidbar having a stud projecting into said slot for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto' subscribed my name.

GEORGE H. DAIVSON.

